Return to Me
by Fae Starfire
Summary: Link is overcome with sorrow at the loss of Midna and his behavior affecting everything around him. Will he get through it? Will he move on? Can he?
1. Chapter 1

It had been nearly four months since that day. The day Link had been so overtaken by grief he could barely stand it, he was inconsolable. He now had more money than the entire net worth of Ordon, courtesy of Princess Zelda, for saving Hyrule from the wrath of Ganondorf. Shortly after Ganondorfs defeat, Link decided to live out the rest of his days in his home, despite his wealth. He didn't feel that he belonged in such an extravagant place as Hyrule Castle, even though offers of becoming captain of the guard several times from Zelda were piled up on his desk. It just didn't feel right. He didn't feel right**. **

Days went by rather slowly. The first two months of being home, Link kept himself locked away in his treehouse. Only leaving to feed Epona, and let her stretch her legs. He looked as though he was dwindling away. He had clearly lost muscle mass and the bags under his eyes indicated his lack of sleep. His eyes...we're just lifeless.

Every week since his return, Ilia would come by with a basket of food, ranging from pumpkin pie, goat stew, to fresh baked bread, jam, milk, and cheese. She would knock on his door, wait for a a few minutes, then finally give up. Even calling his name wouldn't get him to come to the door. The house appeared to be vacant. No lights were seen from any window, and cobwebs were beginning to cover the roof line.

Nearly a month had gone by before Ilia had had enough. She had now delivered almost twelve baskets to Links door without even seeing him. Was he even still alive? Around nightfall, on a pretty normal day, Ilia arrived at Links house with nothing but an angry expression. She patted epona on the nose and fed her a crisp apple before heading toward links house. Surprisingly, light was coming from Links living area, making it much easier for Ilia to navigate his ladder at his front door. A glimmer of hope shown on Ilias face as she stood on his stoop, but was quickly replaced with grimace she had arrived with, seeing the sight of his house, not to mention Eponas stall. She banged on the door frivolously. "LINK! I AM NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU OPEN THIS DOOR."

To her surprise, a tiny click was heard within a few seconds of her outburst and the door swung open. Wrapped in a blanket, a lanky figure walked away from the door and sat down in a wooden chair opposite the crackling fire.

His house was a mess. The smell of dust and dirt had Ilias eyes watering, giving her a profound urge to sneeze. Dishes piled up everywhere. Cobwebs and their owners, dawned the ceiling and corners of the room. Piles of ash and soot made Ilia wonder how a fire was even able to burn in his dirty fireplace. Piles of clothing covered his messy bed, straw poking up out of the mattress at all angles. Letters covered his desk, all clad with the royal familys crest, making it impossible to glimpse the wood top. Interestingly, a small dagger like rock sat idle on links end table, which was completely free of dust, she wondered if it was important to him, maybe from his travels. Ilia sighed, scanning the room once more.

Her eyes soon found her target, the main reason of her final attempt of finding some life in the rubble around her. Link, or at least, what she thought was Link, was sitting in a wooden chair wrapped in a forest green blanket. His hair was nearing his shoulders and he almost had a full beard.

Ilia didn't bother greeting him, and got right down to the point.

"Fado is wondering if you would consider helping him on the ranch...he could really use the help, we all could." Ilia said...searching his face for any sign of life.

He stared into the fire for a few seconds before looking up at her. He opened his mouth to speak, and uttered a hoarse "I'll think about it." His gazed settled back on the fire, realizing how much the color looked like...

Ilia stamped her foot roughly, causing a bowl of goat stew to nearly fall off the table near the fire. Link flinched slightly. "THIS IS RIDICULOUS, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS ALL OUR LIVES AND YOU CAN'T EVEN BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG?! WHAT IS GOING ON? SPEAK TO ME! LET ME HELP YOU, PLEASE!"

Link found her gaze again, his eyes sad. "You wouldn't understand." He said plainly.

Ilia took a deep breath before lashing out at him again, her voice somewhat under control, but laced with poison. "Oh, I wouldn't understand? Ya know, you're right, I only waited months and months for your return, hoped and prayed to the goddesses that you were still alive out there, despite what some of the townsfolk were saying. I went on with life, I helped around town, I did anything that was asked of me, all the while waiting for you...YOU! And now I'm ignored by my best friend." She threw her hands up into the air with a loud huff.

Link opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again, still staring into the fire before him. "I..." He began, but was cut off by Ilia.

"It's her isn't it..." at the mention of "her", Link snapped his head in Ilias direction, his eyes fixed on what she would utter next. "You're in love with Zelda...I should have known..." Her eyes dropped to the floor.

Link laughed out loud, causing Ilia to intake a sharp breath and look up, startled, not knowing that Link was capable of anything other than sulking.

He turned to Ilia, a flash of light in his eyes. "No..." He almost giggled. "I was never nor could I ever be 'in love with Zelda'...now that...THAT is ridiculous." He laughed again. "Why would I even be here if that was the case?"

A look of confusion dawned Ilias face before it was quickly replaced with another glimmer of hope...did he...had he loved...her? Was that even possible? It didn't make sense, him locking himself away, keeping himself away from her...no, he couldn't have...could he?

"You...I..." She stopped herself, all of a sudden overwhelmed with courage. "Link, I love you." Ilia maintained eye contact with him, her voice cracking at the end. Link threw his hands up into the air and stood up quickly.

"Love doesn't exist." He almost spat the words from his lips. A look of anger taking hold of his bearded face.

"How can you say something like that...I have...loved you all this time...didn't you...know that?" Her face was pleading him, her eyes the greenest he'd ever seen, welling up with tears.

"Of course I knew...I felt the same way." He replied, his voice direct, lacking all emotion. He sat down in his chair again, his eyes dancing in the flames once more.

"Then why didn't you...say anything...do anything..." Her words were full of hurt. "Put me out of my misery already!" She yelled at him, her fists balling up, tears nearly spilling over.

"I can't...I'm sorry. I..." He sighed, glancing at her. "That chance is gone. That life, is over." He breathily said, sounded somewhat disappointed.

Ilia ran to him then, kneeling in front of him...clutching at one of his hands, he was unresponsive, his eyes still fixated on the flames. "We can...pick up where we left off, it...it wouldn't be hard." She said, firelight dancing on her face...the hope of happiness within her grasp.

Link stared into her eyes, feeling sorrow for his childhood friend, his first love. He squeezed her hand for a brief second. "I've changed...I'm so sorry Ilia."

Ilia stood up without a word and backed away slowly, clutching her chest. Sorrow was replaced with anger in a split second.

"You are HEARTLESS!" She screamed the last word that she said, and grabbed the first thing that came into view...Links shard. Rage was written all over her face, determined to destroy this one thing that seemed to matter to Link, she made her way to the fireplace.

Link jumped out of his seat and barreled toward her, knocking over dishes and hearing them crash to the floor.

"STOP!" he yelled, grabbing her arms and forcing her away from the fire, causing her to drop Links most precious possession. He took hold of her shoulders, his grip on the verge of painful, and glared into her eyes.

"I have loved more deeply than you could even imagine." His words were like ice.

With that, Ilias eyes welled up with tears once more, and she bolted from the house, slamming the door on her way out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to all those who viewed, glanced, and reviewed my first chapter! This chapter is much longer than the first, I hope you enjoy it!**

Link could barely sleep that night. He couldn't believe the way he had treated Ilia. She had every right to be upset with him. He himself wouldn't have wanted to be friends with him. Morning came quickly, the sun peaking over the mountains, shining brightly into Link's bedroom window. Link rolled to the edge of his bed and sat there surveying his house, realizing how much he had let it go. He didn't even want to think about venturing down stairs to look at the state of himself, he was sure he looked horrible, and goddesses did he STINK! Ilia was right. The way he was living was selfish. Locking himself away from all the people who...loved him. He hadn't seen Colin in months either, despite hearing his quiet coos to Epona once in a while. Link wondered how Colin was doing, they had meant even more to each other since this whole thing started. Colin was like his little brother, and Link had completely ignored him.

He was better than this, he knew it. Glancing down at his left hand, the triforce of courage shown brightly, making him squint a bit. Some 'courageous hero' he was, locking himself away as if he was some sort of town outcast. He grabbed the shadow crystal from his end table and rolled it around on his palm. No, he wouldn't let her memory overwhelm him to this point again. She wouldn't want to see him like this. Link thought about what she would do, probably smack him, or tell him to snap out of it. Picturing her toothy grin caused Links eyes to water suddenly. He stood up quickly, pacing back and forth, doing anything he could to stop thinking about her. Link then did something he hadn't thought of doing for a long time. Link stopped pacing and thought of nothing, turning on his 'numb' state of mind, causing his sorrow filled face to turn blank quickly. Looking down at their shadow crystal...well, his now, he stuffed it into his end table drawer and set out to work.

Getting dressed in a pretty dirty outfit, he gathered up all the clothing he had, some soap, a few brushes, a small brown pack, a large ceramic pitcher, and a leftover piece of pumpkin pie. Climbing down the ladder, Epona stamped her feet with excitement, neighing softly to get Links attention. He was way ahead of her though. Leading her out of her stall, he placed his forehead against her nose and stroked the side of her face.

"I'm sorry girl." He said simply. She neighed in approval, forgiving him so to speak. Epona had always been a softy when it came to Link. He was her human after all.

Link saddled her up, attaching his giant bag of laundry to her saddle, along with the soap, pack, pitcher, and brushes he had also grabbed. Stuffing the pumpkin pie into his face, he ate quickly, realizing how hungry he actually was. How numb had he been all this time?

He led Epona down the pathway toward the spring, grabbing a few apples from the trees along the way and throwing them to her. She whinnied in approval, bringing a tiny grin to Links face. It was still pretty early in the morning and Link hoped he would be alone to take care of a few things in peace. Answering questions about his absence from town was not something he was able to do right now. They arrived at the spring within a few minutes.

Epona pulled from Links grasp, entering the spring without him and taking a few big gulps of the cool crisp liquid.

"Alright girl, how about a bath?" He asked, setting out his brushes and soap along the sand. Epona whinnied in reply. He dumped his huge bag of clothing, apart from one piece, into the spring near the waterfall, hoping to soak them a bit before he even attempted removing the dirt and stains.

He set to work on Epona right away, removing her saddle and bridle, cleaning out her hooves, soaping up her coat, tail, and mane, giving her a good scrubbing. She seemed ecstatic, and shook off as much water as possible after Link used his pitcher to rinse her off. She trotted around the spring, loving the way she was feeling. She was cleaner than she even remembered! Giving Link one last whinny of approval, she set to work on a particularly delicious looking tuft of grass that was growing near the spring.

Link smirked at his horse, hoping today would be a new start for the two of them, and that she would forgive him for his behavoir. He set to work on his clothing next, scrubbing with soap and clean water to all but one of his pieces of clothing. Months of dirt, food stains and just overall stench was removed after about thirty minutes of scrubbing. The one thing he had left out was sitting on a nearby log out of the water. He walked over it and inspected it with his eyes. Such suffering, pain, worry, and courage he had endured in this one piece of clothing, his staple. He picked up the familiar green tunic and brought it to his nose. He was overcome with nostalgia from this action. Months of sleeping under the stars, blood stains, fresh mountain air, earth, her hair, all together in a very distinct smell. This would be difficult.

He had kept his green tunic under his bed, away from any other clothing. Realization hit him at how obsessive he had been. He traced his finger along one particular blood stain and wondered where he had been. What part of his journey had that happened? He stood there for another few minutes while breathing in the scents of his past. Closing his eyes tightly, he let the fabric slip through his fingers. It was just another thing...a thing to keep him from moving on. One step at a time was all he needed, wasn't it?

After finishing up his clothing, he brought them to the clothes line that was set up along the spring, and strung his clothing up to dry. He stripped down to nothing, and stood there in the sand, feeling it between his toes..savoring the softness. He really hoped nobody would be visiting the spring this morning, they sure would be in for a surprise, and an eyeful. Keeping an eye on Epona, who was still happily nibbling at any grass she could find, he entered the spring slowly, the feeling of crisp clean water against his skin felt foreign...and wonderful. Once the water level hit his waist, he dove in, sank to the bottom of the 12 foot spring, and opened his eyes. Bubbles sprang from his mouth, and he watched them as they floated to the surface, mixing with the sunlight. It was beautiful. _"Am I so beautiful, you have no words left?" _The sweet melodic tone of her voice filled his ears, and he reacted instantly.

Link nearly choked on water as he sprang up from the bottom, squeezing his eyes tightly and holding the sides of his head, gasping for air. Ilias words echoed through his skull, _"What is wrong with you!?"_ What was wrong with him?

Ignoring the voices, Link grabbed his soap and brush, determined to scrub his skin raw if need be. Dirt ran off his body, mixing with the soapy suds and clear water. Had all that dirt really been on his body? Link made a disgusted face and continued scrubbing his body and thoroughly cleaned his hair. Soon enough, he was cleaner than he had been in a long time, and was determined to keep it that way. The one piece of clean fabric he owned was his towel, which was only clean from being unused for months. He dried himself off and checked on his clothing, which was nearly dry. Reaching into his pack, he sat down in the sand and grabbed a pair of metal scissors, a knife, and a mirror and set them down in the sand. He ran his hand through his now clean damp hair, it was longer than he had ever had it!

Link picked up his pair of scissors and small mirror, grabbed the ends of his hair, and just began cutting. By the time he was finished, locks of hair were all around him in the sand. He had done a pretty crappy job, but it would suffice. It was about the same length as it was when he was away from home, maybe a little bit shorter. He then grabbed his soap, lathered his face in a pretty thick layer, and grabbed his knife. Shaving had been his last priority the past few months, not that his list of 'priorities' had really been anything at all. He grabbed his mirror and brought it up to his face. Staring back at him was a very tired looking young man, though with this beard he looked as if he had aged 10 years. He looked awful. His piercing blue eyes were dull, and seemed to have lost the sparkle they once had, the life they had once had. Shaving off all the hair on his face took longer than bathing, but his face was soon smooth and hairless, apart from a few cuts from his knife.

Link looked back in the mirror, staring at himself for a few seconds. He grinned an extremely fake smile at himself for all of two seconds before dropping the mirror at his feet and snorting at his silly action. Rising from the sand, he glanced at Epona, who had found a small blackberry bush. Link made his way over to his clothes and tested the dryness. They were sill a little damp, but decided he had waited long enough. It would be best to leave the spring before any of the townsfolk were to find him. He quickly dressed in his green tunic and brown pants, gathering the rest of his clothing and stuffing them in his laundry bag and letting forth a sharp whistle indicating to Epona it was time to go. She looked up from her blackberry feast, grabbed the last two berries in sight, and trotted over to him. Link fixed her saddle and bridle to her, packed up his small pack of items he had brought, and tied his laundry bag to her side. They made their way home pretty quickly and Link tied Epona to his ladder rather than putting her back in her stall. He would have to clean it very soon.

Making his way up the ladder with his now fresh clothing and into his house, he surveyed his living arrangement with a look of disgust. He guessed he had been numb to this too. He made his way over to his bed, sat down, and opened the drawer. He glanced at the shadow crystal and touched it with one finger, praying something would happen...anything. Nothing did. She really was gone. It was over.

Link rose from his bed and made his way into his living room. His expression was blank, lifeless, the depression creeping up on him again. His sword was leaning up against the wall, as well as his utility belt and shield. A thought popped into his head as he glanced at the tools he used for well over a year. If she really was gone, if he would never see her again, he had to say goodbye...didn't he? A funeral of sorts. Maybe that would give him some peace. It was still early, not yet 8'oclock. He figured he could make it to his destination before nightfall.

Grabbing a few leftovers of food, Link started to pack all the necessities he would need for a few days away from home. He undressed quickly, re-dressing in an undershirt, mail, and his green tunic and pants. He equipped his belt, sword and shield and slung his pack over his shoulder. Making his way to the door, he spotted his green hat and slapped it on his head. He touched the knob for a half a second and spun around, staring at this end table. Making an impulse decision, he decided to bring the shadow crystal with him. Maybe he would leave it there, maybe he wouldn't. He wasn't sure yet.

He made his way back down the ladder and nuzzled Epona.

"What do you say we go for a ride?" He asked her, eyebrows arched. She nuzzled him back and stamped her feet, clearly needing the exercise.

Link tied his small bag to her saddle, and climbed onto her back somewhat wobbly. It had been a long time since he last went for a ride with Epona. He clicked his tongue a few times and they were off, Epona raring to go. They rode past the spring, and over the bridge rather hastily, making there way out into Hyrule field. The air was nice and cool, the trees green, and the sun bright. Link felt better today than he had in a long while. Maybe he could get through this.

Soon, Epona was galloping across the plains. Making their way through Faron province toward Lake Hylia, Hyrule looked to be pretty much the same, minus the hundreds of orcs and goblins. Another hour past, and they were clearing the entrance to lake Hylia. Link settled Epona into an easy trot, giving her legs a break. He spotted the familiar cuckoo house a few minutes away, and turned Epona in its direction. Once there, he hopped off Epona, grabbed his pack and kissed her nose softly.

"I'll be back in a day or so girl, you take care of yourself, ok?" He patted her mane and she whinnied in response, before trotting to a nearby grass meadow for lunch.

Link entered the cuckoo house. He had brought his wallet with him, but was shooed away from paying by Falbus, the owner. He knew who he was. Link grabbed a chicken, and left 100 rupees on the counter for good measure, ignoring the protests of Falbus. He could afford it, money wasn't important to him. He hopped off the ledge without a second glance, slowly floating down to his old friend Fyer. He hoped their conversation would be short.

To Links surprise, he landed on one of the wooden platforms nearby, he thought for sure he would miss since he was so out of practice. Fyer stood in his normal spot near the cannon, and rubbed his eyes in confusion at the sight of Link making his way towards him.

"Why...Link? Is that you?" Fyer greeted him with a cheeky grin, smacking him on the shoulder. "Where you been buddy?"

"Around..." Link responded, mustering up the best grin he could.

Fyer grinned back, laughing "Well it sure is good to see ya buddy!" What can I do for ya?

"I need to get to the desert." Link said simply, and handed Fyer a massive envelope. It was very heavy, full of rupees, nearly 800 in total. Fyer took the envelope, opened it up, and gasped.

"Link..." He stared dumbfounded at the young man before him, his mouth hanging open. "You...you keep your money." Handing back the envelope to Link.

Link stopped him with this hand, pushing the envelope away. "I dont need it...please take it." He sort of whispered. Fyer gave him a confused expression.

"You're sure?" He asked, gripping the envelope tightly.

"Positive." Link grinned.

"Well alright...to the desert it is!" Fyer said, as he set the envelope aside and prepared the cannon.

Link waited for the signal to enter the cannon, but Fyer turned to him instead. "Heya, wheres that friend of yours...the imp?"

Link nearly ran froward and grabbed Fyers shirt, but restrained himself. "Shes...listen, I really have to go." He nodded once to the man and entered the cannon. Fyer scratched the top of his head and shrugged, starting the contraption and filling Links ears with that music he couldn't stand. It was just as annoying as he remembered.

Link landed with a loud thud on his behind. The air was hot and dry. Miles and miles of sand dunes were laid out in front of him. This was going to be a long journey. He wondered if there were any wild boars left that would be willing to give him a ride to his destination. Seeing no camps in sight, Link adjusted his hat and started forward. After the first 2 miles, he stopped for a few swigs of water from his pack, and ate a stale piece of bread. He could just make out a stone structure in the distance, the mirror chamber. He continued on after finishing his light snack, realizing it was just around 1'oclock in the afternoon, hotter than ever. He spotted a palm tree close by and made his way over, hoping to catch a few minutes of shade.

He took another swig of water underneath the shade of the palm tree he found. Setting his pack, sword, and shield down, he decided to take a quick snooze, hoping the heat of the day would pass by while he did so. As he closed his eyes, he recalled a haunting melody he tried to avoid, and was asleep within a few minutes.

_"Link..." The sound of that sweet and spunky voice he loved filled his head. "Midna?" Link replied, but he couldn't hear himself._

_"Link, WAKE UP!" Midnas voice yelled in Links ear. _

Link jumped awake, sword in hand immediately, eyes squinting. What he saw coming at him made him dumbstruck, how was anything alive out here? Two orcs on the back of squealing boar were headed straight for him. The one equipped with a bow fired an arrow in Links direction, it skidded past his ear making a whizzing sound. Link rolled to the ground, grabbing his shield, and ran behind the palm tree. The orcs jumped from the boar to the ground a few feet from the palm tree, one readying an arrow.

Link jumped out from behind the palm tree, eyes wide with anger, slashing his sword and deflecting an arrow with his shield. He slashed at the orc with the bow and knocked the bow to the ground, making the orc run back toward the boar. He didn't make it. The other orc slashed at Links back, just missing him by mere centimeters. Link turned around in the blink of an eye and stabbed the orc in the leg, making him fall to the ground. Link quickly finished him off. Link was surprised at himself, he thought he had been so far out of touch when it came to swordplay. He seemed to be very wrong.

Link cleaned off his sword with sand and a palm tree leaf while glancing over at the large animal standing a few feet away. The boar grunted at the sight of Link, but didn't seem too perturbed by his presence. Grabbing his pack, he approached the boar with caution and preceded to mount him. The boar merely snorted and didn't seem to care. The saddle was extremely uncomfortable, clearly not made for anything human. He clicked his tongue to start the boar moving, but it didn't budge.

"Lets go!" Link yelled at the boar, but it continued to not move a muscle.

Link dug his heels into the side of the boar, and the boar lurched forward. Now they were getting somewhere! Link was sure he would save at least an hour or two from his trip with this mode of transportation. Lucky for him that voice...

Link held the bridge of his nose with his right hand. He really was going crazy, hearing all these voices that clearly weren't there. Link opened his eyes and looked ahead, the grounds were close. He passed by many abandoned camps, full skeletons of boars, and more sand dunes. He wondered if the desert had always been like this. Was it ever not a barren waste land? Link continued to ponder about the past. What Hyrule had been like, what...her world had been like. The boar stopped suddenly and snorted. Link broke away from his trance, realizing they had arrived. The mirror chamber stood but a few feet away from where he was. He hadn't been there since the end of his long journey.

Link dismounted the boar, patted its ear as though it were Epona, and thanked it, for whatever it was worth. He trudged along the stone floor that haunted his dreams for a few minutes before stopping, his eyes transfixed to the ground, afraid to look up. He knew he had arrived, he knew what must come next. His last farewell.

Links crystal blue eyes gazed upward, surveying the place where the first moment of emptiness erupted from his heart. The pain he felt was as bad as a fresh wound. The despair overwhelmed him, and he let a few tears escape his weary eyes. He couldn't endure much more of this.

He walked toward the platform where the mirror used to reside slowly. Once there, Link dropped to his knees in defeat, she had ruined him. As soon as he made contact with the stone floor, he felt a shiver of pain rocket through his body from his left knee. He rolled over to a sitting position and examined it. There, stuck in the upper part of his shin, was a piece of glass covered in blood. He pulled it out and gritted his teeth, wiping it off on his tunic until it was somewhat clean. Twili inscriptions covered the glass, and he could see a small part of his face looking back at him. Link gripped the mirror shard tightly in his grasp, drawing more blood from his hand. When would the madness end? He threw the shard to his feet and it landed with a soft clink a few inches from his foot, half of it adorned with fresh blood.

He stood up, staring down at the shard, then back up at the vast rock in front of him.

"WHY?!" He screamed at the rock, expecting a response. In a bout of rage, he threw his sword at the rock, emitting a very loud clanking sound that echoed throughout the grounds. His shield followed, but didn't make it to the rock as he had expected.

_"You are being quite the child, aren't you?" a voice he knew all too well said._ He turned to look down at the mirror shard with a sharp intake of breath. A flash of red emitted from the shard, almost as if someone was looking back at him. He heard a friendly chirping and whirled his head up to the sky, seeing a red bird flying overhead. He then realized that that is what he must have seen in the shard. Just a bird. Just a stupid bird.

Links face fell, trying to understand what the point of all of this was. He had endured underwater trials, saved his friends from certain death, talked to spirits, and slayed countless enemies. Yet this one soul, this one woman, had been his end. Not the blade of a sword, the tip of an arrow, none of it.

Link gazed up to the sky, a lone tear gliding toward his right ear. Maybe this was his test. It hadn't been any temple, enemy, extreme temperatures, dark 'king', no...it had been her all along. His real journey would be how he could possibly forget.

Link gathered his weapons and stood one last time on the platform. Taking the shadow crystal from his pocket, he placed it on top of the shard that had pierced his skin. Two pieces of the past, his and hers, connected forever. Link gathered a few rocks from around the area and made a small circle around the two trinkets, sort of as a memorial for his lost friend, the love that he could never get back.

He glanced down at the shadow crystal and mirror shard for a few minutes before speaking.

"Goodbye Midna..." His voice was pained, picturing himself when he held her tiny body in his arms, when he saw her true form for the first time, when she was gone.

As he turned to leave, the flash of red he had seen previously emitted from the shard again, which in turn, made the shadow crystal emit its red glow as it used to, only this time, Link had already turned his back. Not a bird after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Thanks to all who read my second chapter! Not sure where this is going yet, but hopefully you are enjoying the read. Onward!_**

**_Disclaimer: All characters, places, etc. belong to Nintendo._**

_The stars shown brightly down onto Link and Midnas camp. They had just settled down to bed after a meal of bread and berries, the fire Link had built shining brightly and giving off heat for the night ahead. Midna heard Link snoring softly and glanced over at him in the firelight. He seemed to be just healing from his defeat of Morpheal, cuts and bruises on his arms and legs. He looked extremely weary. _

_"Link? Do you __remember when we first met?" Midna rolled over closer to him on their shared blanket for more warmth, at least thats what she told herself, and continued looking up into the night sky, spotting all the constellations Link had taught her._

_Link mumbled something incoherent in Midnas direction. He was shifting in and out of consciousness._

_"I __didn't think we would ever become friends...let alone..."Midna stopped herself, bringing her face closer to Links. His breath was even, indicating he could no longer consciously hear her. She stared at his face, the way his hair fell into his eyes, the bridge of his nose, and she traced her finger along his masculine jawline. He was so beautiful to her, his soul like no one she had ever known._

_Midna moved closer to him, her hand on his shoulder, and leaned in slowly, careful not to wake him. "I think I love you, Link." Midna whispered into his ear, and lightly kissed his cheek._

_Midna was exhausted herself, and settled down to bed under Links arm. She grabbed his hat, using it as a makeshift blanket. Just as she was about to fall into sleep, she caught Sirius twinkling above her, and a light smile crept to her face before she dozed off. _

_Link tightened his grip on her tiny frame and nuzzled closer to her, the tip of his nose touching her hair and breathed in. "I love you too Midna." He whispered in her ear now, not caring if she had been asleep or not. He settled back down after, falling away with her into unconsciousness._

A bright light was shining in Links eyes, disturbing him. Links eyes shot open to find the sun beating down on him. Just a dream, a memory. He decided the night before to set up camp just outside the mirror chamber, where he had left his new friend the boar. To his surprise, the boar had stayed there, and Link was extremely grateful.

Link decided he would take his time returning home from the Gerudo Desert, once he gotten out of there at least. Link pushed the boar to its absolute limit. He dug his heels into the sides of the boar rather forcefully, but wouldn't dare tell anyone the amount of water that had left his tear ducts during his journey back across the desert. He would be extremely dehydrated once he returned home. Saying goodbye to Midna had been just as hard as it was the first time. Link made it back to the tinier cannon, which Ayer had built after the war for easy transportation, in about half the time it had taken to get to the mirror chamber. He fed the boar the rest of the food he brought with him, as well as his water flask. He had an ounce of hope the boar might survive, not that he had any plans of ever returning to the desert again. Once back at Lake Hylia, Link entered the cannon without a word, his eyes bloodshot. Ayer didn't ask, started the music, and sent Link on his way.

To his surprise, Epona had waited for him to return, and trotted over to him happily. Link wrapped his arms around the mares neck, stifling a small cry of sorrow. Epona nuzzled him back, knowing Link was sad, she had known Midna was important to him.

Link decided to camp out among the stars with Epona that same night. The two of them left Lake Hylia, and headed back toward the Faron Province. On there way, Link spotted an extremely dark cloud that had settled over the northern most area of Gerudo Desert. The cloud seemed a bit strange, but Link shrugged it off, glad to be out of the rain..or whatever it was. Epona and Link stopped in the middle of Faron Province. He set up camp on the tiny pond near the bridge and built a fire from wood nearby. He was able to gather a few apples for Epona as well.

The sun started to set over the field, filling the sky with rich oranges, reds, and pinks. It was Links favorite time of day, even if the flashes of memory hurt him. He took his fishing pole out of his pack and decided to fish up a few greengills for dinner. After preparing the fish to be roasted over the fire, Link spread out his blanket and watched the stars as they slowly spread out over the dark blue sky. He closed his eyes for a few minutes, and slipped in and out of consciousness. What awoke him 10 minutes later sent a chill down his spine.

Links eyes snapped open suddenly. A faint voice was heard on the wind. Whoever it was, was singing. The song sounded full of sorrow, and the singer appeared to be a woman. Somehow it sounded familiar to him, but he wasn't sure why. Epona didn't seem fazed by it, which seemed a little bit strange to Link. Link got up from his quick snooze and decided to check on dinner. To his delight, the fish were done, and he gobbled down all three of them in a few minutes time. The desert had taken a lot out of him.

Link settled back down on his blanket after his meal, getting ready for bed. He told Epona to get some rest, and began searching for constellations above him. After a few minutes, he spotted Midnas favorite, Sirius, and stopped. He wasn't about to pour more acid in that wound.

His thoughts shifted to home. Maybe he could develop romantic feelings for Ilia again. It didn't seem impossible, he would just need time...maybe. He didn't want to think about that right now either though. Love was so pushed from his mind as of late, and it was just too painful to focus on. He needed something to capture his attention, just like his journey had. There was always something to do, always somewhere new to go. Link decided to set to work as soon as he arrived back home. Epona's stall was a mess, his house was a mess, and Fado did need help. From the looks of the town, they were barely scrapping by. Link had always been the young man in town who would take care of most of the hard labor, and none of the kids in town were old enough, or up for the task. With that decision in place, Link emptied his mind and fell asleep. Tomorrow would be a new day...a good one, he was sure.

Epona whinnied to awaken Link at the first sight of sunlight. Link rolled over and groaned, it couldn't be morning already? After a few minutes of procrastination, Link gathered up all of his things, mounted Epona, and started home. He had a feeling she wouldn't be to happy with what he had in store for the next few days.

At the sight of his house, in shambles just as he had left it, Link grimaced. Epona snorted at the sight of her own stall as well. "I know girl...its terrible, isn't it?" Link stifled a quiet laugh. "What do ya say we fix it?" Epona replied with a hopeful whinny.

Over the next few days, Link put himself to work. Lucky for him, no one from town had bothered to visit him at all. Were they afraid of him now? What had Ilia said? Link started on Eponas stall, shoveling out any and all waste, and scrubbing it with tools he had. He thought he would pay a visit to Castle town tomorrow, hoping he would be able to have a few things delivered to his house. A new stall for Epona included.

The wind whipped as if a storm was coming that night, but it didn't rain a drop. As Link sat down to a dinner of stale bread and cheese, he made a list of things he wanted to get in Castle town. This was going to be a hefty bill. Link decided he was going to give back to the place he had called home all of his life. He had never known his mother or father, and many of the people in town had taken him in as one of their own, especially Rusl and Uli. Link planned to host a town meeting and invite everyone, to apologize and set things right. He would also inform them of the changes that were on the table for Ordon. The village was getting a makeover, so to speak.

As Link closed his eyes that night in his lumpy bed, he didn't think of Midna, and instead, thought of the work and days to come. This sudden change in demeanor would certainly surprise everyone.

Link awoke the next day with a grin on his face. Today was the day to start fresh.

He made his way to the spring, scrubbing himself from head to toe after cleaning his clothing. He made his way back home to let them air dry, and dressed in his Ordonian attire. Though it might seem silly to others, Link led Epona out of her stall for moral support for what he was about to do, and continued on towards the center of the village. He wasn't exactly thrilled about this part.

Most of the village was outside, enjoying a small breakfast all together at a large wooden table near Bo's house. At the sight of Link and Epona, Colin dropped his fork with a loud clank and darted over.

"ITS LINK! ITS LINK!" Shouted Talo, getting up from the table as well.

"Yes...we all have eyes Talo." Replied Malo.

Link made his way closer to the table, all eyes fixed on him, save Ilias. Link cleared his throat before speaking. "I...I want to invite you all to a town meeting, a...party of sorts tomorrow night. I have a few things that I would like to discuss with all of you, and it would be my delight to see you all there. All good things, I promise."

Many of the townsfolk raised their eyebrows, unsure of what had come over Link, or what this gathering was all about. He had been labeled the 'village hermit', despite Rusl and Ilias disapproval of the nickname. Rusl rose from his seat and patted Link on the back. "We would be happy to, right Bo?"All eyes were now transfixed on Bo, and Uli nudged him with her elbow. "Uhhh...yea sure, sounds like a plan." Ilia looked livid.

Link fetched his green tunic and brown pants from the clothes line and got dressed after his announcement. He grabbed his pack, wallet, sword, shield, and hat, and readied Epona for the long journey to Castle town. He also stuffed every single letter from Zelda into a small bag. They left around 9'oclock in the morning. He figured it would take about two hours to get there, less if they didn't run into trouble. During their travel, Link couldn't help but notice the same dark cloud still hovering over Gerudo Desert, it was the strangest thing he had ever seen, and it now looked almost teal in color. Link continued to ignore it. If it was anyones problem, it would be left to the orcs and goblins still alive in that area to take care of.

Link and Epona arrived at castle town earlier than anticipated. He dropped Epona off at the entrance, and headed into castle town, figuring he would make his way to the castle first. The town was bustling with activity, and it was a nice breath of fresh air to witness. Some people pointed in his direction and whispered under their breath, Link simply nodded his head in their direction, making a few young woman squeal in delight. "Isn't he just dreamy?!" He heard one say. Link blushed.

Getting into the castle seemed much easier than he thought. Guards at each set of doors nodded to him once, opening doors all the way to the throne room. Link was impressed with the renovations Zelda had done over the past few months. Everything was as good as new, but shinier. One thing in particular did catch his eye off in the corner of the vast room, and he walked towards it. As he got closer, he realized it was him. Well, a sturdier version. Zelda had had a statue of Link made, with an inscription of "Link, Hero of Time" written at the bottom. He wondered if this was the only one she had made. It was a strange sight to see a much more courageous version of himself standing there, taunting him in a way.

Another object on a pedestal a few feet away caught his eye as well. It was part of Midnas helmet. Link nearly fell over at the sight of it, catching himself on the pedestal, feeling the sorrow creeping up again. Grabbing the bridge of his nose between his fingers, Link stated "No" under his breath and turned away.

He made his way to Zeldas office, all the way at the back of the throne room. She was sitting at her desk, signing a document. She looked beautiful as ever, hair the color of gold, and eyes like the sea. Zelda looked up, eyes wide.

"Link!" She hurried from her desk and pulled him into a friendly hug, lingering longer than Link would have liked.

"What are you...to what do I owe this pleasure?" Zelda's face was full of light. "Have you finally come to accept my proposition?" Zelda arched her eyebrow.

"Very funny Zelda." Link replied. "Actually...I'm here to say no...lets see...thirty-nine times." Link dropped the bag of letters at her feet. Zelda pouted.

"Well thats too bad...I..we could have really used someone like you around here." She grabbed his hand, a little bit over-friendly. Was she really that lonely?

"I really do...appreciate the offer Zelda, but I just can't. I find much more...happiness" Link bit his lip, what a lie! "...in Ordon, which is actually another thing I wanted to talk to you about." Link replied, wiggling his hand out of her grasp as non-chalantly as he could.

Zelda offered Link a seat and ordered tea for the two of them. Link explained in full detail what he had in store for Ordon, who he would need to hire, and what he would need delivered over the next few weeks. Zeldas eyes were surprised, to say the least. She had really expected him to take her up on her offer. Although, she was happy that he seemed to have some sort of happiness in his life. The few nights he had spent in the castle with her after Ganondorfs defeat were depressing to witness.

To Links surprise, Zelda brought in her squire, who made notes of what Link was going to need for this huge undertaking. Link preceded to order vegetable and fruit seeds in the thousands, ranging from all types. He also put in an order for a few cows, at least a dozen more chickens and a rooster, six pigs, and four horses.

"I'll need at least a dozen hard workers, someone to help me build everything, and a lot of lumber." Link directed his words to Zeldas squire, and handed him a large list of tools, materials, furniture, food, animals, and so on that he would need to be delivered.

The squire took the list from Links grasp and hurried off to fill his order. Link sipped his tea, not sure what to say next.

Zelda shifted in her seat. "Well, you sure are taking on a huge undertaking! If I weren't stuck here, I might consider helping you."

Link laughed, "Wouldn't that be a sight...Zelda, Princess of Hyrule, using a hammer?" Link grinned, imagining the faces of his village-folk seeing that event.

"Ha-ha, I could do it, you know I could!" Zelda proclaimed, pouting her lips again. Was she trying to be sexy? Because it was working, not that Link could ever see himself with her in any circumstance. She was beautiful, that was true, but too...proper, not meant for him.

An awkward silence overtook the room again and Link cleared his throat, standing up to leave.

Zelda stood up as well, "Will you join me for dinner?" She asked abruptly.

Link pondered the thought. The last thing he wanted to do was give Zelda the wrong idea, he was not interested in her as she might have hoped.

Zeldas eyes were hopeful, and decided to throw in a good reason, "I have some...well, I would like to discuss Ganondorf's defeat with you, I have a few concerns."

Link wasn't sure that was the real reason she wanted him to join her for dinner, but he politely nodded his head anyway, agreeing.

Link left her throne room and the castle to venture out into the town market, wanting to pick up a few things while he had the time. He eyed a jewelry store close by, and entered it, gazing at the many pieces of jewelry around the room. He spotted a beautiful black gold ring with a crystal blue gemstone in the center, he had never seen anything like it. Without thinking much about it at all, he decided to purchase it, determined that no one else would have it if he could help it. Maybe he would end up getting married? Maybe he wouldn't, but there was something about the ring that drew him in. He also found a very dainty silver and pale green gemstone necklace, and decided to purchase that as well.

He made his way over to the swordsman shop and picked up a few very expensive pieces of equipment for Rasl, including a handmade sword and shield, both worlds nicer than what he had.

Dinner was a dull affair. People waiting on him hand and foot, it was very strange for Link to endure, and he wondered if Zelda had ever cooked a meal for herself in her life. They discussed Ganondorf's defeat and the Triforce of power. Zelda had brought up the point of where the Triforce of power might have gone. Neither of them had received it after his death, which worried her a bit. Zelda had thought for sure that Link would end up with both the Triforce of courage and power, since he had been the one to deliver the final blow to Ganondorf, but that wasn't the case. Link didn't think too much of it, and insured the princess it would be okay. Ganondorf was dead after all. She didn't mention Midna once to Link throughout dinner.

Zelda invited Link to stay in the castle that night, saying that it was too dangerous to venture home in the dark. Link thought this silly, he had been through far worse things than traveling at night, but decided to stay anyway...tomorrow would be a long day and he would need the rest. Thinking Zelda had only invited him to get him alone that night, Link was surprised when she didn't pay him a visit to his room, and was relieved. It seemed she had taken the hint.

Link arrived home with Epona very early in the morning. He had slipped out of the castle at around 5am, eager to get home and get to work. His workers and shipments would start arriving within the next few hours.

Link began by packing up everything in his house, and bringing it to the basement. He had ordered a large staff of laborers to be here promptly at 9am to begin work on his house, and he was hoping they would have it done within a few weeks.

Over the next few weeks, the village of Ordon was finally looking how it should, for the home of the savior of Hyrule. It was now almost something to be proud of. Link had thrown the party, apologized to everyone, and shown them the blueprints of what would be happening in the days to come. Ilia had not shown up. This upset Link, though he couldnt blame her, and planned on making it up to her, but not just yet.

More weeks past, Links house was finally finished, and work had begun on almost everyone elses houses.

Link set out to work on Bo and Ilia's house next, planning on adding a bedroom for her, a large bathroom, and a horse stall like Eponas. He had bulked up over the past few weeks, and was looking like himself again in the muscle department. His clothes were no longer baggy from loss of weight, and his eyes had light in them again.

"What in the goddesses names are you doing?!" Ilia asked, standing in front of him, confusion written all over her face.

"I'm renovating." Link said, in between swings of his large mallet. Sweat was dripping from every crevice of his upper body. "I figured I should give back, this is my home, and I need to start acting like I care...because I do." Link gave her a stern look. "If you had been at the meeting, you would know that."

Ilia ignored his last statement "No one asked you to do that." Ilia said, crossing her arms and giving him the sternest look she could muster. It was hard not to look at all of his exposed skin while keeping her mouth closed. He had definitely gained significant muscle mass since their fight.

"Actually..." Link said, setting his mallet down and wiping his brow. "Your father gave me the go ahead. I'm renovating the whole town. Everyones houses will get additions, new fireplaces, and personal vegetable gardens. The goat barn is also getting redone...to accommodate cows, chickens, pigs, and a few horses."

Ilia's eyes widened, getting excited despite herself. "Horses?"

Link looked up from his work and smiled at Ilia, a real genuine smile. Ilia averted his gaze and looked down at her feet.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you, ya know...I'm still mad at you." Ilia put her hands in her pockets and spoke to the ground, her voice rather elevated.

"I know...but I'm getting closer, yea?" Link continued to look at her, a smirk on his face.

Ilia shrugged and turned her face away, a faint grin turning the corners of her mouth. She pretended to cough. "Well, I'm going to check on Uli, she may need help with the baby."

"I'm sorry you know, for the other night...I really am." Link bored into the back of her head, a look of empathy written on his face.

Ilia stopped for a brief second, didn't turn around, and continued walking. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction yet.

About a month went by and nearly everyones home was complete. He had built Fado a great house right next to the barn, so that he didn't have to travel there every morning. Nearly everyones personal vegetable gardens and fruit trees were beginning to grow, and Link was sure they would have a great harvest soon.

Link was finally settled down into his own house renovation too, most of all of his old things were moved down to the basement, he had added a full kitchen with a large wooden table, a couple of comfortable couches, and a bookcase full of books. He also added a bedroom off the main living area with a fireplace, a very large sheeps wool bed, the best he could find in town market, and a bathroom with a large bathtub just off his bedroom. He decided he deserved some comfort too.

Link had surprised Rusl with a brand new sword and shield, and Uli with a beautiful baby crib that Link had built on the day their own house was finished. He had also given Colin a colt, determined to keep his promise of teaching Colin how to ride. The family could not have been more pleased of grateful for all Link had done.

Ilia had finally warmed back up to Link too, and she was ecstatic when he presented her with a horse of her very own. He was a beautiful stallion, and she decided to name him Eldin, after one of the light spirits, he was grey with beautiful white spots and a black mane and tail.

"He's so beautiful Link." She grinned from ear to ear, pulling him into a hug, her eyes still on her new horse. "Thank you."

"I have something else for you too." Link said, the glow of the sunset on his face. He held out a box to Ilia, and Ilia took it, not sure what was in it. As she opened it, she gasped. It was the necklace he had purchased in town market weeks before, the green of the stone matching her eye color. He took it out and helped her put it on, she clutched it with her fingers, never owning something so beautiful before. He turned her around to face him and clutched her shoulders.

"I wanted to apologize to you for the way I acted weeks ago, and for yelling at you. I'm sorry. You were my best friend, and you deserved better than that." Link said, eyes wide. "Maybe...you could give me some time, maybe...we could take this further. But for now, I really need my friend back."

Ilia hesitated for a brief moment, processing the gifts and information. "I forgive you." Ilia smiled then, pulling him into a friendly hug again.

Things were looking up.

Upon coming home from the Ranch, another day of hard labor done, Link sat down to a well deserved meal of chicken pot pie, courtesy of Uli. She was almost like a mother to him, and he was happy she was so quick to forgive his behavior after the war. In between mouthfuls, Link studied the blue prints of the village of Ordon. Where things had been built, who had gotten what, and when things were expected to be completed. They were on track and then some, the ranch itself was the last thing to be built and coming along very smoothly. The new animals seemed to love their new home.

Link was about to indulge in another bite before feeling a strange warmness on the back of his left hand that he hadn't felt since seeing Zelda. Sure enough, the Triforce of courage was shining brightly, not the norm of its glowing outline. Link stood up, confused. Surely Zelda hadn't come to visit him...he had just seen her weeks ago. Link was going to be extremely upset if she had come to force the captain of the guard at him again. He had made it perfectly clear how he felt about that position.

There was a brief knock at the door. Link grimaced. He was not in the mood to entertain the princess of Hyrule. What was she even doing here at this time of night?

Link grabbed his sword for good measure, not that Ganondorf would bother knocking, but still. He opened the door, and was stunned by a dark figure standing there. A single orange curl escaped from the hood of the figure. No words were spoken, and Link readied his sword, ready to strike if need be.

Link let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding as the figure pushed the hood of the cloak back, making their face visible. Link dropped his sword and fell to his knees.

It was Midna.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks again to all my readers and reviewers! I've had a lot of fun writing this story, and glad all of you are here for the ride! **

**ATTENTION: Very mature content in this chapter, please be aware. First excerpt of lemony goodness I have ever written, so be gentle with me XD **

*******Side note: Most of the *cough* scene was inspired by Muses song "Madness". Take a listen before, while you read, or whenever.******

**Disclaimer: I Don't own these two souls. If I did, Twilight Princess would have gotten an entirely DIFFERENT ending!**

**Here we go.**

* * *

Link put his head between his hands, squeezing his eyes tightly, still on the floor. He had crumpled to his knees as if he had watched the death of Midna mere inches in front of him. The pieces of his heart felt as if they were being wrenched out of his chest with a rusty pair of blacksmithing tongs. Seeing her standing in his doorway brought him back to ground zero, he knew there was no getting out of this hole. This had to be a dream, Midna was gone. He watched her go, he saw the mirror break into a million pieces. He didn't believe she was there, she couldn't be.

Link heard the door close, but didn't look up. He was sure he must be hallucinating, he had finally gone over the edge of sanity, even after all he thought he had done to stop it. He knew that if he were to look up now, he would see nothing, hear nothing, feel nothing. Maybe he would die, here on the floor, her image still plastered in his skull.

"Link..." Midna kneeled in front of him. Her hair loose curls of fire flowing down her back and over her shoulder. She cupped his head in her hands, her forehead touching his, eyes closed.

He stood up, bringing her with him, his hands grasping hers. He gaped at her, those familiar eyes staring back at him. He dropped his hands and backed away, turning away from her, not entirely sure what to do next, how to process this. Link turned back around swiftly with a sharp intake of breath and stared into her eyes. His face was filled with so many emotions and Midnas eyes widened, not sure what he was thinking, or what he was about to do.

Link thought his chest might explode from his body at any second, his eyes were intensely gazing at the woman in front of him. "If this is a dream...then I guess I don't care." He rushed toward her and closed their distance with a fierce kiss, crushing his lips to hers. Midna stifled a soft noise of surprise. He pushed her back against the door and her body reacted instantly. Her hands were shaking, clawing at his hair, his face, his clothing. Their tongues danced forcefully, fighting for dominance.

Midna pulled at his tunic aggressively, buttons flying in all directions, before throwing it on the floor. Link picked her up, and pushed her back onto his dining table rather forcefully, sucking, nipping, and kissing her neck, settling himself between her legs. Midna moaned, her own hand reaching down between her legs to touch herself. She was on fire. She pulled her skirt off in one swift motion and chucked it to join his tunic, or what was left of it.

She could feel his desire pressing up against the inside of her thigh, dangerously close to her hot center.

Link pushed away her black shirt garment, exposing her perfect breasts to his mouth. He devoured one nipple, and rolled it between his teeth, squeezing the other in his hand. Midna raked at his back, scratching, and moaning. He was being very rough with her, and she had the sudden urge to slap him. The passion between the two was completely raw, like two animals. But she needed this, she needed him, and to her surprise, she loved how rough he was being with her. It was driving her mad.

She pushed him back, off of her, and stood, circling around him as if he were her prey. She ripped her remaining clothing from her body, arching her eyebrow at him. He growled in response to her action, and started toward her. To his surprise, she pushed him back away from her, feeling his contoured abs against her hand. Midna knelt down then, undoing his belt, the shadow of his member right in front of her face, taunting her through his clothing. She was rough with him, pulling his belt away from his pants and throwing the leather to the floor with a substantially loud crack. His eyes were full of lust as he watched her, and tangled his hand in her hair. Midna pulled down his pants in one motion, and Links cock sprung out, finally free from its confinement. She was awestruck at his size, and parted her lips with desire as to how he was about to feel inside her core.

She closed her hand around his throbbing cock, pumping it up and down, eyes full of desire as she stared up at him through her lashes. After a minute or so, Midna enveloped him in her mouth, sucking any drops of precum he had for her. She pushed him to the back of her throat, as far as she could, tasting him and trying not to gag because of his girth. Her eyes filled with tears as she did so, and Link threw his head back, trying not to cum right then and there. He grabbed the back of her head, fingers shaking, trying to decide whether or not to push her away. She came up for air before blowing air on his tip, he was as hard as a rock. If she kept this up, he would lose all control and explode in her mouth. Link stopped her, pulling her up from the floor, and kissed her roughly, sucking and nipping on her lower lip.

He pushed her back onto the table again, and pulled her hips closer to the edge, emitting a tiny giggle from Midna. He kissed and nipped at her inner thighs, putting his mouth anywhere but her center. Midna grabbed onto his locks and pulled forcefully, trying to wordlessly tell him what she wanted. She growled in his direction, propping herself up on her elbows and glaring down at him. His eyes were full of intensity, and he inserted one finger into her incredibly wet center. Midna threw her head back, pleading him. He pulled away suddenly, and Midna locked eyes with him at the loss of his touch. Bringing his finger to his lips, he sucked off all of her juices with his tongue, staring back at her with the same intensity as before. She tasted just as he imagined, sweet, sweet sunset, and he closed his eyes, savoring her flavor. She growled at him again, her eyes pleading and her hands reaching for him. He dove toward her then and spread her throbbing lips open, relishing her with his tongue, reaching up over her flat stomach to fondle one breast while he did so. Midna couldn't stand it, he was ignoring her request. She was aching for him to touch her bundle of nerves, and he was torturing her.

He stopped suddenly and inserted two fingers into her, pumping in and out of her in slow motion. Midna moaned again and gritted her teeth. Link could feel how incredibly tight she was, and he finally gave into her by touching the tip of his tongue to her clit. Electricity shot through her body, and she threw her head back. Link attacked her again after she stifled a soft moan. He sucked on her tiny nub, rolling it between his teeth softly. She was nearing the edge, moaning and breathing franticly, losing herself to him. He stopped suddenly and withdrew from her, a moan of disappointment and anger escaping her lips.

He pulled her closer to him then, preparing to enter her, and teased her opening with the head of his cock. He wasn't sure how long he would last. He entered her in one fluid motion, all the way to his hilt. Midnas eyes widened, and Link locked his eyes with hers, allowing her to adjust to him. She raked at his back, pushing herself into him after a few seconds. He began rocking into her rhythmically, Midnas hips meeting his in slow thrusts.

He couldn't take it anymore, and began to pound into her with everything he had. Midna moaned his name over and over again, her body quivering. He quickened his pace, and was pumping in and out of her, the sound of skin slapping against skin echoing off the walls. She was nearly over the edge, her breath coming quicker and quicker.

Link brought his hand down to her clit, rubbing and pinching it with his fingers rapidly. Midna cried out, her walls tightening around him, his movements were frantic, and she clawed at his back, drawing blood. The tight coil in her belly released, causing her to fall over the edge into the most intense orgasm she had ever had. She screamed out his name, and he was close behind her, moaning out her name as he spilled his seed inside her.

He collapsed on top of her, both of them glistening with sweat. Midna was still trying to catch her breath, whimpering, her thighs and legs twitching involuntarily. They stayed like that for a while, his head on her chest, her hand in his hair, just listening to each others heartbeats. Link closed his eyes, committing her scent to memory. He was there, in his house, with the love of his life, on the dining table, and nothing but the light of the fire was a witness.

Breathing finally even, he propped his chin up on her chest, staring into her face. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. She looked down at him, fire dancing in her eyes, and smiled at him, pushing his hair out of his face. She was his. He climbed up to reach her lips, and kissed them softly, gently. Midna kissed him back, and wrapped her arms around his neck before burying her face into his neck.

He picked her up from the table, and laid her gently on his bed, getting under the covers with her. They made love two more times that night, much gentler than before. No words were spoken, save moans of ecstasy. They finished out the night with their bodies tangled together, and finally settled down to a much deserved rest, the sound of the fireplace crackling.

* * *

Link awoke with a start. Had he dreamt all of it? Had Midna really appeared in his doorway last night?

The feeling of a warm body next to him set his mind at ease and relaxed his body. Their legs were tangled under the sheet, and all of his pillows were scattered on the floor. Link nearly melted into his bed at the mere site of the woman lying next to him. Her hair was scattered in all directions, and it fell over the edge of the bed. Her left breast was exposed to the crisp morning air, hardening her nipple. Their shared sheet was wrapped delicately around her body, like a snake, exposing some areas of her soft and gorgeous skin. It took a bit of mental strength from Link, not to devour her for the...4th time since her return as she lay there.

The sun began peaking through Links bedroom window, shining brightly on Midnas brow. She murmured softly and threw her arm over her face, trying to stop the morning from arriving.

Link propped himself up on the bed, and slowly traced his finger over the side of her torso, moving upward slowly. He reached the curve of her breast and Midna suppressed a giggle before opening her eyes, rolling over, and supporting her upper body on her arms. She pushed herself up and gave him a quick kiss, but Link possessively cradled her head with his hands and prolonged the kiss longer than she had intended. She pulled away with a playful growl, going back to her comfortable position on the bed. It seemed there was no stopping the sexual deviant she had awoken in the man next to her.

He was staring at her then, twisting a lock of her hair through his fingers gently, his crystal blue eyes searching her red and yellow ones.

"What?" She asked, hiding her face behind her smooth fingers. She peaked out from behind them, then got extremely close to his face with a giggle, noses touching. "What?!" She asked again, a grin spreading across her face.

"I'm in love with you." His voice was a whisper, eyes still boring into hers.

Midna looked down and blushed profusely before Link supported her chin with one finger, bringing her face back up to meet his gaze, but she averted it. "Don't hide from me." He sounded stern. "I've had enough moments spent without seeing you, being with you. I won't waste another second." Midna looked up at him through her lashes, empathy written on her face.

Midna raised herself again from the bed and kissed him. As she pulled away, she pressed her forehead to his. "I love you too." She kissed him again before curling up at his side, his arm draped around her upper body, and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart. After a few minutes of just being, Midna cleared her throat and Link nudged her. "What?" He asked, eyes lazily opening.

"Well...I noticed there wasn't much 'conversation' last night, Master Link, aren't you curious as to why or how I am even here?"

"Well it seemed pretty apparent to me, you needed a good lay." Link laughed out loud, he had missed playing with her and teasing her, it was so easy to push her buttons.

"Why...you..." Midna picked up a pillow from the floor with a growl and threw it in his general direction. It hit him directly in the face, Link fell over onto the bed, his body unmoving. Midna pushed his shoulder with her hand, but he didn't respond. She did it again and still got no response.

"Link stop it..." She was laughing at him, but his body continued to be completely still. "Link!" She was straddling him now, shaking his shoulders gently. "Link, wake up!" She was sounding frantic now, clawing at his shoulders.

Links eyes snapped open, and he rolled over on top of her, their places reversed. Midna was caught by surprise, producing a small shriek from her throat.

"That wasn't funny you know." She said with a huff, doing her very best at producing a glare. It didn't last very long.

Link giggled silently for a second before giving Midna a very stern look, "I hope you know that if you pull a stunt like that again, the whole, mirror breaking thing, I will be jumping in there after you." Midna stifled a laugh with her hand, but Link wasn't wavering. "I'm dead serious." He said.

She looked up at him, meeting his cool blue eyes, then away quickly. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Midna...I'm not being ridiculous. I can't...I...I won't live in a world where you don't exist." His hair was falling into his face, eyes cast downward away from hers. Midnas eyes snapped back to his, extreme sorrow on her face.

"Link...I'm so sorry." Midna glided her fingers up his torso to his face, brushing the hair out of his eyes and cupping his head in her hands. He kissed the palm of her hand, then her arm, then her neck, her chin, and every square inch of her face he could find.

He pushed himself up, hovering above her again, "You're really here." It was more of a statement than a question, and his eyes crinkled at the corners when he spoke, light in his eyes again.

"I'm really here." She replied, lacing her fingers into his and staring at the connection she had just made with one simple touch.

The triforce of courage shined brightly again. Link had almost forgotten, well no, he had forgotten, there hadn't been much talking last night. His hand had done that same thing last night before...

Link sprang up from bed, and grabbed a pair of pants before putting them on hastily. Midna eyed his naked form. "Ooo...nice butt." She snickered, reaching out to touch him. Arching her eyebrow, she sat up, letting the sheet fall from her body, exposing her subtle breasts.

Link cut her off, using any willpower he had to not tackle her right then and there, "Why is this happening?" His eyes were full of confusion, holding up his hand so that she could see.

"I...well...I...I can't be entirely sure." Midna replied, getting up as well, using the sheet as a makeshift dress. She slowly walked over to the fire, suddenly interested in its faint glow.

"Tell me." He said, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. Midna hesitated speaking.

A few brief seconds later, she turned around and held up her left hand towards Link. There, on the back of her hand, the Triforce of Power was glowing red.

* * *

**I literally wrote everything and anything possible before the sexytime scene. I was sweating buckets the whole time. Hopefully I did okay! I tried to evoke some kind raw passion in that scene. There was way too much tension between the two for it to be sweet and slow, at least the first time...Anger, desire, hurt, lust, all rolled up into a fierce greeting. Yea, Link is pretty fucking hot. I have to admit. ;P**

**"Come to me...Come to me  
Just in a dream.  
Come on and rescue me.  
Yes I know, I can be wrong,  
Maybe I'm too headstrong.  
Our love is  
Madness"**

**"Madness" by Muse...listen to it!**


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